2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV

In the kingdom of the electric car, driving range is king. No other affordable battery-powered vehicle can match the range supplied by the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV, making it the easy choice for our Best Plug-in Hybrid/Electric Vehicle award.

There's a bit of voodoo, of course, surrounding the Bolt EV's pricing, as you'll have to deduct the maximum federal tax credit to get to the an asking price below $30,000. Still, there's no smoke and mirrors when looking at the Bolt EV's range, which is 238 miles of driving on a single charge.

If range were the Bolt EV's only party trick, then it might not have made it onto our list of 2018's best cars, but this is one very livable hatchback. Performance from its 200 horsepower electric motor is enough to vault the EV to 60 mph in less than seven seconds, handling is surprisingly adept for a vehicle riding on efficiency-focused tires, and the vehicle's spacious and comfortable cabin is a great place to spend time in between charge-ups.

Speaking of charging, you'll need 10 hours to go from empty to full while using a 240-volt home charging station. Pony up the extra cash for a DC fast-charge port and you can add 90 miles of range in a quick 30 minutes while the car is jacked into a municipal charging station.

There's also a bit of EV novelty on-hand in the Bolt, including a one-pedal driving system that eliminates the need for the brake by way of an aggressive regenerative charging profile. You can also access the regenerative braking system by way of a steering wheel-mounted paddle that can be held to slow down without stepping on the brake pedal.

The Chevrolet Bolt EV is notable for being the first electric car that breaks free from the prison of urban driving without asking you to fork over luxury levels of cash in order to park one in your garage. It's the vehicle that could very well serve as the template for the future of affordable electrics, but the good news is you don't have to wait until tomorrow to buy one. The Bolt EV is here today.

Should you prefer an alternative to this impressive Chevy, or you simply want a plug-in hybrid that you can drive long distances without worrying about a re-charge, our list of recommended vehicles in this segment is shown below, in alphabetical order.